Aries Spears brings fiery comedy to Macomb

Former “MADtv” star and stand-up comedian Aries Spears isn’t one to mince words when it comes to criticizing anyone for laughs.

The 38-year-old Chicago native who grew up in New Jersey - and performs July 3 at Macomb Music Theatre in downtown Mount Clemens - takes on rappers, actors and athletes in his act.

And even with the media brouhaha that has broken out over cooking show host Paula Dean’s racial scandal, Spears, a black man, unapologetically defends the use of the “N” word as part of comedy.

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“I think to each his own,” he said in a telephone interview.

“For some people, they use the word and some people don’t. But whether it’s a curse word or the N word, it can be like poetry - it’s all in the delivery, if used correctly.

“We’ve had Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, when they use it like they do, you never feel like it’s derogatory. It’s how you use the word, that’s what I’m saying.”

Race aside, Spears has plenty of experience in judging what works on an audience, whether in a comedy club, on television or the big screen.

Spears, whose mother was a jazz singer, became a comedian at age 14. After being kicked out of school for fighting as a sophomore, he developed a comedy routine that centered on his hometown and found he could entertain people.

He went on to join Russell Simmons’ “Def Comedy Jam” followed by other comedic TV shows including “The Best Damn Sports Show Period.” When he was 16, he landed a role in the movie “Malcolm X,” the first of several movie parts, but his silver screen credentials were best cemented in “Jerry Maguire,” when he played Teepee, the brother of Rod Tidwell, played by Cuba Gooding Jr.

“That was a great time,” he said. “I mean, when you have one of the biggest stars on the planet in Tom Cruise, your movie has a pretty big head start.”

Right after finishing that film, he joined the cast of “MADtv,” where he stayed for seven seasons and developed a reputation for delivering sizzling impressions of celebrities such as rappers DMX, Snoop Dogg and LL Cool J, along with actors Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino.

Lately, he’s been in the headlines for dissing rappers such as 2 Chainz, but said it’s all in fun. He doesn’t have a favorite impression. “I like them all,” he said. “I’m the mother who had one too many kids. They’re all my babies.”

Then he adds: “Anyone who is in the public eye is fair game. But I do it more complimentary than anything else. I don’t go after them too badly.”

Here are his thoughts on a few other topics:

* On Flavor Flav’s financial troubles in running a Sterling Heights rib joint: “What do you expect? It’s Flavor Flav! A man with a large clock around his neck doesn’t make him a businessman.”

* Rating President Obama: “He’s absolutely fabulous. I mean that in the most heartfelt way. I’ll be damned if I’ll be the first black man not to give this brother a break. If George W. Bush can screw up and get away with it, Obama can get by. He’s all right.”

* Kanye West and Kim Kardashian naming their newborn daughter, North. “What is with these celebrities and their baby names? I’ve already determined when I have a baby, that child will be called Talladega Nights.”